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Microsoft's new anti-piracy technology...

1) Unactivated Vista, after 30 days, will run in "reduced functionality mode" until activated. One hour of web browsing and then you're disabled.

2) Microsoft will continue to check if Vista was legitimately acquired, even after activation. Should a license key be deemed illegitimate, the user will be given another 30-day grace period to acquire a legitimate license key, Microsoft said.

3) As part of the effort to fight piracy, Microsoft is changing the way businesses license its software. New licensing systems will replace the current volume license keys, which have been widely abused. Starting with Vista, Microsoft will offer two different types of keys and offer three different ways to distribute them within an organization. In all cases, some more work will be required on the part of the technology department at a company.

4) Additionally, the functionality of Windows Defender will be crippled, and optional downloads from Windows Update would be unavailable to the unlicensed user (already the norm, isn't it?). Microsoft would also place a watermark on the desktop at all times that reads "This copy of Windows is not genuine."

5) Vista activation won't be permanent. If Microsoft discovers that the user has used a product key without authorization, it will force the user to reactivate his or her copy of Windows. Product keys may be blocked for a number of reasons, Microsoft says, including for abuse, stolen or pirate keys, or if the key was seized due to anti-piracy efforts.

Sounds like a nightmare. I certainly hope they've worked thru all the validation issues the had with their "Genuine Advantage" program.

Anyone going to open a book on how long it takes for that to be cracked and worthless?

What Microsoft must do is bite the bullet and accept that they are dealing with organised professional criminals who make a lot of money out of stealing and distributing their software. These guys are not going to give up this lucrative business because of this nonsense.

The key is hitting at the distribution and the professionals, as those are the people who are seriously hitting their revenue.

If the music and film industries cannot do anything about it, what makes Microsoft think that they can?

The only successes I have seen of late have been those directed at the distributors.

Well, Nihil, if I headed an IT dep't, I'd be thinking long and hard about #3: "...some more work will be required on the part of the technology department at a company." From what I've seen at the enterprises I've been in, their people are often already overworked. MS's new licensing scheme certainly promises to be more costly for their customers than the old one.

As for the "organised professional criminals who make a lot of money out of stealing and distributing their software", they will be leaving the consumers who thought they were legit MS customers holding the bag while they move on. And personally, I'm NOT convinced "organised professional criminals" provide the bulk of installed bootleg copies. The bulk of the bootleg stuff I see out there is someone who got a copy of an app from someone else and installed it.

The most proficient techs I know often cut their teeth on unlicensed software. In fact, I'd say I've run my share of it, but I'm probably better off pleading the 5th (it's a Yank thing). Interestingly, I did do a very informal survey back about 5 years ago of helpdesk techs I routinely talked to. I'd inquire, after dealing with the issue at hand, if I could ask them a personal question (I'm a bit of a schmoozer), and of course, the answer was usually 'yes'. Then I simply asked them if all the software they ever used in learning all that they did about computers was properly licensed and paid for. The responses were always one of two: first, "No", and second, a nervous "I can't answer that". He-heh, it is so ironic that in the hundred or more such inquiries I ever made, not one single tech told me, "Yes", that all they had was licensed and paid for.

As you suggest, the kind of licensing scheme Microsoft uses will always experience some 'seepage'. Methinks the real victims of this kind of draconian licensing enforcement will more often than not be legitimate customers or those who honestly thought they were legit. I've seen far too many mistakes in MS's current WGA scheme to trust MS to do it right. Maybe M$ should learn to live with the fact they'll never squeeze those last drops of blood from of their customer base...

they're taking it to a new level with Vista and Office 2007 Unactivated Vista, after 30 days, will run in "reduced functionality mode" until activated. One hour of web browsing and then you're disabled.

I know a lot of our customers 'ignore' the 30 day activiation notification message (near the systray) IMO with them doing that it is going to cause more headaches and more problems for Microsoft, not to mention help desk and ISPs.

the user will be given another 30-day grace period to acquire a legitimate license key, Microsoft said.

How nice of them.

Additionally, the functionality of Windows Defender will be crippled, and optional downloads from Windows Update would be unavailable to the unlicensed user (already the norm, isn't it?). Microsoft would also place a watermark on the desktop at all times that reads "This copy of Windows is not genuine."

I'm sure there will be a registry hack/away to bypass it. There always is.

I am not knocking Microsoft but from a Wall Street/stockholders' angle

Like brokencrow was referring to?

Yes I saw that mate:

In all cases, some more work will be required on the part of the technology department at a company.

Oh goody...............time to revamp my Bill Gatesing stationery? .................kind of the great man to throw us proles a few crumbs from the table?

As for the "pirate" copies, I realise that is a moot point, as there really is no way to know what private individuals get up to, but the gangs can be more closely monitored due to seizures, criminal intelligence and the like.

I would also point out that the Far East is rife with pirate copies rather than "sharing".............. like this could be 70% of installations?

I agree with you that the problem will probably just hit legitimate customers................they know where we live?

Actually, there is a fair bit of organised software piracy in the UK. It is a criminal offence over here so I get to know from hearing about busts. Same for DVD, CD, designer shoes & accessories, perfume, cigarettes....................... "a nation of shopkeepers gone bad?" (apologies to Mr Bonaparte).

Then I simply asked them if all the software they ever used in learning all that they did about computers was properly licensed and paid for.

Well my answers would be "no" and "certainly not"................ if it is given to me or sent to me by a "responsible officer" of the organisation, then it is legal.................that should have been your third question?

When you deal with an outfit straight, they deal back that way.............and "rules" do get a little "bent" as it makes more sense for someone from the customer to provide level 1 & 2?................. then it sort of slides into level 3 and beta testing?.............. you must have gotten a free copy by then?

Seriously, Activation and Validation are the main reasons I
never migrated to XP. I have a low tolerance for small
annoyances. If my legitimately purchased OS falsely
claimed to be pirated, instead of calmly calling them and getting
it sorted out, I would prolly break down and cry, and in a fit of self-pity,
go down there and do something we would all regret.

I can fix just about anything that goes wrong with win98.
It's at least as secure as XP, runs on modest hardware
and only crashes once a week or so. It's bulletproof. My wife
can't destroy it.

My own workstation is Slackware Linux. Would I give that up
for an unproven Microsoft OS? What do they really have to offer?
I've got enough on my plate without any computers that threaten
to quit for non payment of the bills. It's no secret that they want
to evolve toward a system of leasing the software, rather that
a permanent license. Maybe businesses can cope with that
but I can't.

When XP came out, there was a lot of BS from MS about licensing. You were only going to be allowed to install the OS twice, and then you were going to have to buy a new copy. They backed off of that. I've got a feeling MS is throwing out feelers at this point and some of that stuff they're saying will change, particularly if that activation check turns into a snafu.

Makes me wonder how truly secure your PC is when MS has their nose in it every week or every day. No wonder a number of foreign govt's are trying to push themselves away from Windows.